Excavating-machine.



L. A. KRUPP. EXCAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED I'IIB.5 1912.4

Patented hlar.l8,1913.

5 SHEETSSHEET l.

L. A. KRUPP. EXGAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED H1B.5,1912.

1,056, 1 O5, Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

me@ @Q5/2 L. A. KRUPP. EXGAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB.5. 1912.

Patented Mar. I8, 1913.

W/ T/VESSES.'

Br @am rgal/lm,

L. A. KRUPP. EXGAVATING MACHINE.' APPLICATION FILED 2mm. 1912.

1,056,105, Patented Mar. 1s, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES INVENTOR l ATTORNEYJ',

L.' A. KRUPP. EXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED PEB.5, 1912. 1,@563 l O50 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

ouirnn sfrarrns PATENT oratori.

LEO A. Knorr, or HNDLAY, omc.

` EXCAVATING-MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LEo A. Knorr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Findlay, in the county of Hancock and State of Ohio, have invented a certainnew and useful Excavating-Machine; and I vdo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as will "enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

My invention relates particularly to trench excavating, open ditching and scalping machines, but is not restricted to such use as it may be used in any connection for which it may be adapted or appropriate.

The object of my invention is to provide an ordinary excavating machine of the rotary cutting-wheel type with simple and eiiicient means for easily and quickly adjusting at least one of the tractor or frame supporting wheels thereof to enable both of opposing ones of such wheels to travel on apposite banks of a ditch or trench being cut, or in subst-antially the same plane on opposite sides of the path of a cut, or to enable such wheels to be relatively adjusted in Vertical planes whereby one may travel on the bottom of the trench or cut and the other on a bank thereof, thus adapting this type of machines for the digging of wide trenches, street scalping work, or the like.

A further object of my invention is the provision in combination with a machine of this class, of a conveyer mechanism for the diggings, which is adjustable to facilitate a right or left delivery 'of the diggings as the na ture or condition of the work may require.

The invention is fully described in the following spec'ification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustratedl in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure l is a side elevation of an excavating machine embodying my invent-ion, with the cutting Wheel in elevated position and one tractor wheel lowered into a trench being cut by the machine. Fig. -2 isa tOp plan view of the machine with the tractor wheels in alining position for narrow trench work. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the machine on the line w, w in Fig. 2 with one Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18,1913.

applicati@ inea February 5, 1912. serial No. 675,686.

wheel in central sect-ion and the other wheel mounted within the lowering frame. Fig. 4 is an enlargelx sectional detail on the line a', :v in Fig. is owing the features embodyin my invention. Fig. 5 is an enlarged si e elevation 0f a portion of the cuttingwheel carrying frame, with the conveyer mechanism for the diggings in cross-section. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section of the cutting-wheel audits carryin frame, wit-hl the conveyer mechanism in e evation thereon.

Fig. 7 is a rear end View of the machine going down for first cut in street scalping work. Fig. 8 represents machine coming back and making second cut. Fig. 9- shows machine going down on third cut, and Fig. 10 showsmachine comin back on fourth Aout with adjustable whee lowered to ride on bottom of cut.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the Wheeled frame ofv any suitable form of ditching or excavating machine, .which is supported in the present instance by the two rear tractor wheels 2 and 3 and by the forward steering wheel L1, and 'has the cus- .tomary cutting-wheel 5 trailing from one side portion thereof and mounted for the usual adjustment, as well understood in the art.

When the machine is cutting or working d'own a narrow trench which is of less width than the maximum gage of the tractor wheels 2, 3,.suc h wheels are mounted on the outer ends of a sectional axle which comprises the sections 2 and 3afor said wheels, respectively. The axle sect-ions 2a and 3a are shown, in the present instance, as being mounted in suitable outer bearings 6 and have their inner ends mounted within a common center bearing 7 the shaft section 3 being mounted Within its bearings in a manner to facilitate its easy removal therefrom.

The truck frame 1 is shown, in the p-resent instance, as comprising three major longitudinally extending spaced beam members la, 1b, and l, the irst'two of which cooperate to form an open space within the frame which is disposed at the opposite side of the frame to that from which the cutting-wheel 5 trails, and within which space a wheel carrying frame 8 is mounted for vertical swinging movements, as best shown in Figs. Zand 3. The frame 8 pivotally trails from a shaft' :man

is connected through any suitable gearing with the driving motor 16 on the truck frame, as through the train ofgears 17, one of which may be shiftable to engage or release the other gears of the set, such gears communicating rotation from the engine shaft to the shaft 13, which has chain and sprocket connection with a shaft 19, as indicated at 20. 'llhe shaft 19 carries two loose bevel gears 21, 21, .between which a clutch member slides upon the shaft-in feathered engagement therewith to drive either'bevel gear or to` permit both to stand at rest as desired. This clutch is controlled by ashiftlever 22, which is operated in any suitable manner. Rotation is communicated in either direction from the gears 21 to the shaft 12 through the medium of a shaft 23 which carries a bevel gear 24 in mesh with both gears 21, and also carries a Worm 25 in mesh with a worm-wheel 26, which is mounted on a shaft 27 with al small pinion 28, which pinion is in mesh with and drives a larger gear 29 on the shaft12. l

.The swinging wheel-carrying frame 3 has bearings 30 for removably carrying a short axle section 31 upon which the wheel 3 may be mounted between ,the .sides of the frame 3 when such wheel has been remowed from the aule section 3a. lThe bearings 30 prefere ably have their axle receiving openings in position to aline with the axle section 21 when swung into register therewith so that the axle section 3a may be projected through said bearings as well as the machine frame bearings 6 and 7 when such axle section is being employed, thus holding the swinging frame stationary in elevated inoperative poe sition when not in use. llt will, of course, be

.understood that the axle section 3a is removed from its bearings when a tractor wheel 3 is removed therefrom and mounted upon the axle section 31 carried by the swinging frame, thus permitting the swinging frame to have free unobstructed swing ing movements within the truck frame 1, as is apparent.

ffhe shaft 9 from which the swinging frame 3 trails, serves as the driving shaft for the tractor wheels 2 and 3 and has one end in driving connection with the wheel 2 through a chain' 32 and cooperating sprocket wheels, and its other end in driving connection with the wheel 3 through a chain 33 and cooperating sprocket wheels, as best maaier shown in liig. 2. lflhen the tractbr wheel 3 is mounted within the swinging frame 8 the driving connection between such wheel and the shaft 9 is the same except that the chain 33 engages a sprocket wheel on said shaft which is disposed between the arms of said frame. r1`he shaft 9 may be geared in any suitable manner to the motor 16 or other source of power as well understood in the art.

rlFhe conveyer mechanism for the diggings, which is best shown in lFigs. 5 and 6, comprises a frame. 33 o-f any. desired length, which is carried within the cutting wheel 5 upon the top of the frame or boom 34, carrying such wheel, and has rolls 35 at its ends, which coperate with id1er-rolls36 in guiding the course of an endless conveyer apron 37. Each side of the frame 33 has a rackbar 38 on its under side, which rests upon ay pinion39 carried by a shaft 40, journaled longitudinally of the frame 34 in bearings p 41 thereon, the conveyer being adjustable transversely of the frame 34, to project from one side or the other thereof, by a turning of said shaft and pinions. This turning is edected by the cooperating action of a lever 42 and a ratchet-wheel 43. lThe racks 38 are retained in mesh with the pinions 39 by members 44, which attach to the shaft 40 and carry rolls 45 for traveling in the chan nels of the conveyer frame sides (see lFig. 5).a 'llhe free or outer end of the conveyer is suspended in proper elevation from a swinging boom 46 through the medium of an adjustable cable 47, as Ishown in Fig. l. rlhe conveyer apron is driven by means of a sprocket chain 43, which connects a drive sprocket 49 with a sprocket 50 carried without the frame 33 by the shaft of either roll 35. rl`he sprocket 49 is suitably geared to a shaft v51 mounted lengthwise of the frame 34 and carrying a miter gear 52 in mesh with two similar gears 53, 53, mounted loosely on a shaft 54 journaled transversely in the frame 34. A. clutch member 55 is feathered to the shaft 54 and shiftable to engage either gear 53 to communicate movement in reverse directions to the conveyor apron. The shaft 54 is connected in anysuitable manner to the motor 16 of the machine. rllhis form o-f conveyer mechanism which renders it possible to deliver the diggings at either side of the machine is of special value in street scalping work, as very often it is not possible to have the receiving wagons disposed at all times at the same side of themachine.

lln the use of my improved machine the first three cuts are made in the usual man- "ner, that is,lthe machine is worked forward and backward in the making of the three cuts with the tractor wheels 2 and 3 thereof both traveling on the ground surface at the sides of the trench as shown in Figs.

5', 6 and 7 If it is desired to widen the excavation beyond the width of three cuts, or in other words, beyond the width of the space between the tractor wheels, as in wide ditch work or in street scalping work, the tractor Wheel 3 and its shaft section 3a are removed from the truck frame 1 and the wheel is mounted within the rear end portion of the swinging frame 8 upon the short axle section 3l which is inserted in the frame bearings 30 for such purpose. This having been done the operator throws into operation the gearing which connects the motor to the clutch shaft 20, if such gearing is not already in operation, and then shifts the clutch shifting member 22 to effect a driving of the proper gear 21 communicate a lowering movement to t e bars l() and wheel carrying frame 8 throughv the connecting mechanism. The wheel 3, hav? ing been thus lowered into the cut in position to travel on the bottom thereof, is locked against raising relative to the truck frame 'by the locking action` of the worm and worm-wheel 25 and 26.A `It is thus apparentv that the excavating operation may now be continued to widen the cutting to tom thereof.

any desired extent with the tractor wheel 2 operating on the ground or bank surface at the side of the cut in the direction in which the cut is progressing, while the tractor wheel 3 travels lwithin the cut on the bot- It is to -be understood, of course, that the adjusting movements'and digging action of the cutting wheel are the same as in other machines of this character, or may be controlled in any suitable manner. Iwish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction or arrangement of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims. I Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent, is,-

l. In a machine of the class'described, the

'combination with a truck frame, and oppos- .ing supporting wheels therefor, of vertically adjustable means carried by the frame atl the same end thereof as said wheels and between the vertical planes of such wheels and .capable of carrying a supporting wheel to permit a lowering thereof into a cut. I

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a truckframe, and opposing supporting wheels'therefor, ofmeans carried for vertical swinging movements by the frame at the same end thereof as said Wheels and between the vertical planes thereof and capable of carrying a supporting wheel to permit a lowering thereof into a cut. l3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a truck frame, and opposing supporting wheels therefor, one of such wheels being removable, of vertically adjustable means carried by the frame between the vertical planes of said wheels and capable of carrying the removable one of such wheels to permit flowering thereof into a cut, and means for adjusting said first mentioned means and locking it in adjusted position.

4. In a machinel of the class described, the combination with a truck frame, and opposing tractor wheels carried thereby, one of said tractor wheels being removable, of mechanism having a part disposed between said wheels and capable of carrying the removable one of said wheels for vertical adjustment, and common drive means for said wheels'.-

5. -In a machine of truck-frame, wheel carrying means at opposite side portions of the frame, wheels carried by said means, and vertically` adjustable means carried by' the frame between the vertical planes of said irst means and adapted to carry a wheel between the positions of said first mentioned wheels for coperating with one of said wheels to support the frame.

6. In a machine of theclassdescribed, a truck-frame, frame supporting wheels carried at opposite sides ofl the longitudinal center of the frame, and means carried by the frame for vertical swinging adjustment and adapted to carry -a wheel between the positions of said first mentioned wheels for cooperating with one of said frame supporting wheels to support the frame.

7. In a machine of the class described, a truck-frame, supporting wheels therefor, excavating means between the paths of movements of said wheels, and vertically adjustable means for carrying a frame supporting wheel at one side of the,path of movement of the excavating means and between said' supporting wheels.

8. In a machine of the class described, a truck-frame, supporting wheels at opposite lsides of the frame, excavating means carried.

lby the frame between the paths of movements of said wheels, and vertically adjustable means carried by the frame between said wheels and at one side of the path of movement of the -excavating means and adapted to carry a wheel ffor cooperating with one of said frame supporting wheels to supportthe frame.

9. In a machine of the class described, a.

truck-frame, supporting wheels at opposite sides of the frame, excavating means carried by the frame, vertically adjustable means carried by the frame between said wheels and at one side of the path of movement of 125 'i the excavating means and adapted to carry a Wheel to coperate with one of said supporting wheels to support the frame, and mechanism operable to adjustsaid wheel carrying means.

l capable of being carried by said Wheel eairy ing frame, when tbe gremovable one 'of said l0. 'Sin a inecliine of tbe class desciibed, a tinck-frame, a sectional axle carried by the frame, at least one of such sections being removable, supporting Wheels carried by said axle sections, one of said Wheels being removable, a Wheel carrying frame mounted for Vertical adjustment Within the tzuckframe and adapted to be retained in a predetermined position of adjustment by one of said axle sections, a sepaate' axle section axle sections is I'emoved, said fiame and the axle section carried thereby being capable of carrylng the removable one of suoli Wheels l5 to permit a lowering thereof into a out.

ln testimony whereof, l 'have hereunto .signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subsi'ibing Witnessee.

I LE@ A. KRUPP.

Witnesses: v

CHALMnns S. BROWN, CHARLES l5). JORDAN. 

